On December 7, 2024, at approximately 6:05 p.m., 46-year-old Hector Manuel Garcia Gomez from Palmerton, Pennsylvania, was fatally shot in the parking lot of Loco Hot Deals, located at 1155 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township. He was pronounced dead at 7:43 p.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest due to multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.
The investigation revealed that Garcia Gomez had been involved in a prior conflict with 35-year-old Christian Martinez-Ramos of Allentown.
This dispute escalated into physical altercations and threats exchanged via text messages and phone calls. On the day of the shooting, surveillance footage showed Garcia Gomez arriving at the store with his wife, who remained in their vehicle. As Garcia Gomez exited the store and approached his car, a light-colored Honda Civic, identified as the suspect vehicle, pulled up behind him. Multiple gunshots were fired from inside the suspect vehicle before it fled the scene.
Authorities apprehended Martinez-Ramos, who admitted to the shooting, stating he used a Glock 19 registered to him. He was charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, and related offenses. Additionally, 37-year-old Liz Pacheco of Allentown, who lived with Martinez-Ramos, was charged with homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, and aggravated assault. Investigators determined that Pacheco had been informing Garcia Gomez's wife about his affair with a neighbor, which contributed to the motive for the shooting. After the incident, Pacheco assisted in selling the vehicle used in the crime.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney James A. Augustine and investigated by Whitehall Police Detective Lindsay Yetter, along with Lehigh County Homicide Task Force Detectives James Bruchak, Timothy Salgado, and Amaury Almonte. The investigation revealed a complex web of personal relationships and prior conflicts that culminated in this tragic event.
